Travel

Head to Duluth this week for the annual Tall Ships Duluth festival featuring eight historical ships sailing into port on Wednesday, July 28. This is your chance to see and step aboard these magnificent vessels. The event includes music, food, performances, and tours.

According to the Duluth News Tribune, the future of icon Pierre the Voyageur (also known as Pierre the Pantless Voyageur) in Two Harbors, Minnesota, is uncertain.

Currently, he stands proud though paddleless in an unused parking lot, often posing for pictures with visitors to the North Shore.

Per the Duluth News Tribune:

“Pierre the Voyageur was born 50 years ago as a way of reminding people of the frontier historical past in Two Harbors. The 20-foot statue was also a large advertisement for a new business in town: Stanley Nelson’s Voyageur Museum and Voyageur Motel.

“It was classic hucksterism as more Americans took to the road in the late 1950s and into the 1960s, looking for wayside curiosities along the way.

“Nelson’s businesses are long gone, but Pierre stands tall off Highway 61 on the west end of town. His longevity and years of producing photo memories for passers-by has made him a Two Harbors legend.

“But Pierre stands apart today, surrounded by nothing but a vacant lot. He’s still a draw for the road-weary, but many wonder what his future looks like after a failed attempt to revitalize the area in which he stands.”

There is talk of possibly moving Pierre, as demonstrated by an interview done with Pierre himself and the Two Harbors Chronicle:

“Q Any thoughts about the idea of moving you to what is expected to be a new visitors center over by Culver’s?

“A Well, I’ve been looking at this view of the cemetery and the ore docks and train yard for 50 years. It’s hard to imagine looking at something else after all that time. But it would make me proud to be a more official part of welcoming people to Two Harbors and the North Shore. And, really, sometimes change is good.”

June is typically the wettest month in Minnesota, but after days of gray skies we’d like some SUN, please! At least a tornado isn’t in store for us today as it was in 1981:

“Around 4:50 p.m. on June 14, 1981, an F3 (158-206 mph) touched down near Edina in Hennepin County and traveled for 15 miles through portions of Minneapolis and Roseville until it dissipated near Lake Owasso in Ramsey County. It damaged residences in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood near the historic Gibbs Farm as well as the Har-Mar Shopping Center in Roseville, where most of the 83 injuries occurred. Total damages were estimated at $47 million.”

Do you miss Lily the bear and her cub, Hope? Get your Minnesota wildlife fix at Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound Loon Cam.

From Schara’s website:

”The LIVE Loon Cam is a live webcam on the nest of a common loon. Located in central Minnesota, USA, this nest has been the site of many incredible moments. Larry Backlund is our resident loon expert and shares what he can see from his vantage point on the edge of his property. This nest is 100% wild and 100% natural!”

Check out the site for links to Larry’s blog and the Loon Cam’s Facebook page!

If Minnesota’s recent spring weather has you thinking ahead to summer at the lake–putting in the dock, upgrading your fishing gear, connecting with friends and family on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July–this weekend’s Lake Home and Cabin Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center is just the ticket for further inspiration.

If you go, look for Chris Niskanen, author of Prairie, Lake, Forest: Minnesota’s State Parks, who will tell of “Adventures in Your Back Yard: The Inside Story of Minnesota State Parks” and sign books today at 6, Saturday at 4, and Sunday at 11. Stop by to say hello–and to think about how your spring and summer plans might include an outing or two at sites around the state.

New: Saturday, Feb. 27–Opening of the exhibit of the Winter Plein Air Painting Festival at Gunflint Lodge. This is a great opportunity to mingle with the artists and view/purchase locally painted scenes. The exhibit will also be open on Sunday, Feb. 28, from 10 am-2 pm.

Get your augers and rods ready! Aitkin’s annual World Famous Fishhouse Parade on Friday, November 27, celebrates the coming ice fishing season. The event features wacky and wonderful ice houses displayed on trailers and paraded through downtown Aitkin as thousands gather to watch the yearly ritual procession.

Cathy Wurzer’s Tales of the Roadblog, Notes from the Road, features a picture of a sign for Highway 61 in the Czech Republic. Cathy invites readers and fans to share photos related to Highway 61 on the Tales of the RoadFacebook page or Flickr. So if you are one of the many families traveling the famous highway on a mini-vacation this weekend for the fall break, stop and take some pics along the road to share!